This post I wrote in June 2010, and what I write about here came in very useful after hurricane Sandy. Relieved a lot of stress. Since writing this, my monthly prescription cost if I did not have insurance would be just over $8,000.00.

Posted on June 25, 2010

Prescription medicine can cost a fortune without insurance coverage. Many of us depend on prescription drugs to keep us “well”, or even alive. I know if I didn’t have my cocktail, eventually my heart will go into fibrillation, and that’s the end of the story. Most of us get our prescriptions on a monthly basis and wait until we are down to our last few pills to refill. Many of those prescriptions are expensive, and if it weren’t for insurance, we could not afford any. I have a great insurance plan, as my monthly prescription cost is $6,600.00, and of that I pay $50.00 in co-pays.
What would happen if for some reason you lost your insurance coverage, or there was some disaster and pharmacies closed in your town for a month or more (think Katrina), what would you do if your medicine were to run out tomorrow? I know if I were to lose my insurance tomorrow, there was no way I could afford that medicine.

There is a way that you can be sure to keep your self stocked for at least a month. Firstly, if your prescription is renewed every 60 days or 90 days, ask your doctor to make it a monthly prescription. What most people don’t know is that most insurance companies allow you to refill your prescription 21 days after you filled it. That means you will have a week left when you refill. If you routinely refill your prescription on the 21st day, even though you have some meds left, in four months you will have a month’s worth of medicine extra in case of an emergency. In eight months you will have two months worth extra. I keep two to three months worth on hand, just in case. If I were to lose my job and insurance, I have 3 months worth of meds on hand to keep me going. It’s a simple solution to what could turn out to be a stressful situation in the future.